Interview with a Nurse: Winnie Abodunrin

This week, we sat down with Winnie Abodunrin, who is studying to become a Registered Nurse. She told us all about why she loves working as a nurse and her favourite things about her career.

How long have you been working in healthcare?

I have been working in healthcare for 4 years now.

What made you want to become a nurse?

Funny enough, I actually never saw myself being a nurse, nor did I want to become one. I did not get enough points in my Leaving Certificate for what I wanted to do, so I ended up picking nursing. It was while I was in my course that I grew a liking to nursing and realised that I actually enjoy it. Now I am embarking on my journey and I can not wait to become a Registered Nurse!

What is your favourite thing about your career?

My favourite thing about this career choice is knowing the impact nurses have on peoples lives. Seeing someone come in unwell and then being able to enhance that persons quality of life through holistic and optimum nursing care makes me feel like I am making a difference.

What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?

At the moment I am in my final year of college. A typical day for myself would essentially be waking up in the morning and going to college. I get some breakfast with my friends and then attend lectures from 9am to around 4pm each day. Assignment deadlines are starting to approach so each day I have a study session with my friends, where we look over the material covered in each lecture and plan our assignments. After studying we may go out for a coffee date or just to get something to eat. Once I get home I would unwind by spending time with my family, have a shower, pray and then go to sleep.

How do you stay motivated on difficult days?

I would say knowing my potential and all that I can achieve helps me to stay motivated on difficult days. When I am running low on motivation, discipline helps me to keep going. Knowing that my future is in my hands keeps me grounded even when it is hard to continue. I would also say praying and having a good support system around me has helped me massively when I feel demotivated.

What advice would you give to someone wishing to work in healthcare?

I would say that you should make sure you know that it is 100% what you want. If you want to care for others and make a difference in peoples lives everyday, then healthcare is a great place to work in. Healthcare has so many job opportunities, the world is your oyster. Working in healthcare also comes with its various challenges. It is not easy, but once you are doing something you love it makes it easier to get through the hardships that come with it.

What is the funniest thing a patient has ever said to you?

I was taking care of a patient with dementia and during the day she would call me by her daughters name. I wondered why, only to find out when her family came, that apparently I look like her daughter and that probably why she called me by her name. I found that very funny but also very wholesome at the same time.

--

Thank you to Winnie Abodunrin (@nursingwithwinnie) for sitting down with us!

We'll be back with more next week!

DDHQ x